Rotary switch assembly



B. FRIED ROTARY SWITCH ASSEMBLY Sept. 10, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 8, 1954 INVENTOR. Bernard Frled Sept. 10, 1957 B. FRIED 2,806,112

ROTARY SWITCH ASSEMBLY Filed Dec. 8, 1954 7 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Bernard Fm! BY ,Wq

; has 9% any Patented Sept. 10, 1957 ROTARY SWITCH ASSEMBLY Bernard Fried, Great Barrington, Mass., assignor to Joseph Pollak Corporation, Dorchester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application Decemher 8, 1954, Serial No. 473,858

7. Claims. (Cl. 200-153) The present invention relates to a rotary type switch having automatic resetting means of simple design and of effective operation.

The present invention provides a helical spring operated resetting switch in which the spring, of unique design,

is maintained under tension even when the switch is in a reset position whereby a more positive action is obtained.

The particular construction of the resetting means is such, that the switch may readily be assembled at minimum expense from elements of sturdy and relatively simple construction.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a rotary switch structure with terminal lugs fixed to contact plates in a novel and improved fashion.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a switch construction in which tenninal lugs project all the way through a base plate and are secured to contact plates by peening the ends of the lugs over the contact terminal plate. The lugs in this construction are further provided with projecting wings which lock into slots in the base plate and prevent the lug from turning. These and other objects of the present invention will be more clearly understood when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary cross sectional elevation of the switch,

Figures 2 and 3 are opposite end views of the casing,

Figure 4 is a side view of the rotor with spring members in position,

Figures 5 and 6 are opposite end views of the rotor,

Figure 7 is a side view of the contact plate,

Figures 8 and 9 are opposite end views respectively of the contact plate,

Figure 10 is an elevation of the base plate,

Figures 11 and 12 are opposite end views of the base plate,

Figure 13 illustrates a side and face view of a terminal plate adapted to fit into a recess in the base plate,

Figure 14 is an elevation of a lug,

Figure 15 is a plan view of a terminal plate,

Figure 16 is a plan view of a helical spring member,

Figure 17 is a fragmentary elevational view of a portion of the assembled switch, and

Figure 18 is a fragmentary view taken along the lines 1818 of Figure 17.

The casing 1, is provided with enlarged tubular portion 2, and a narrower tubular portion 3. The portion 3, is designed to contain a lock mechanism of standard design which may be secured in position by a set screw or key passing through the opening 4. Within the enlarged portion 2 of the casing 1 and coaxial with it is positioned a rotor member 5. This rotor member 5, has a main body 6, with a peripheral outwardly extending flange 7 at one end and a tubular collar member 8, at the other end. A slot 9 is provided in the tubular collar member 8, and a slot 10, is provided in the face of the rotor body 6, within the collar member 8. These slots 9 and 10 are designed to fit the end of the lock element (posi tioned within the section 3) and to rotate the rotor with it. Also provided in the face of the body 6 of the rotor are two pairs 11 and 12, and 13 and 14 of sector bosses each of which have a non projecting portion 15 and 16. These boss sectors cooperate with the boss members 17 and 18 on the inside of the casing to provide a snap action to the operation of the switch as the rotor member 5 is normally tensioned against the boss elements 17 and 18. Three shoulders 19, 20 and 21 extend to the outer edge of the peripheral flange 7, and are approximately one-half the length of the portion 6, of the rotor. On the upper face of the rotor 5 is a projecting shaft 22, three recessed spring holes 23, 24 and 25 forming the corners of a triangle, a pair of recesses 26 and 27 for receiving the legs of a triangular contact plate, and if desired, a pair of irregular shaped recesses 28 for reducing the weight of the rotor.

A helical spring member 30 as shown in Figure 16, is provided with two convolutions. The end 31 of the spring 30 is bent backwards at an acute angle to the main adjacent portion of the spring and in a plane substantially at right angles to the planes in which the convolutions lie. The other end of the spring is formed into a U-shaped loop 32, at right angles to the portion of the spring immediately adjacent to the loop and at right angles to the general plane in which the convolutions of the spring lie. The tip end 33 of the loop 32 engages the bent portion 31 of the other end of the spring and normally maintains it under tension. This spring fits within the enlarged portion 2, of the casing 1, at the base thereof, with the loop portion 32 fitting into a recess 34 as illustrated in Figure 2 and Figure 18. The section 31 projects close to the main portion 6 of the rotor 5 and is positioned to be engaged by the shoulder element 21 when the rotor is turned. Thus, as the rotor is rotated toward the right, as illustrated in Figures 17 and 18, the face 21a of the shoulder 21 engages the end 31 of the spring 30, and increases the tension on the spring, as the other end of the spring (the loop 32) is secured in the recess 340i the casing. When the proper contact is made and the switch released, the tension of the spring 30 will reset the rotor by turning it back to its original position.

An extension 21b on the shoulder 21 limits the rotation of the rotor by contacting the loop 32 of the spring. The normal inoperative position is one in which the bosses 17 and 18 on the inside of the casing rest between the sector bosses 11 and 12, and 13 and 14 respectively. Positioned in the recesses 23, 24 and 25 are springs 35 which tension against the lower side of the contact plate 40 in the recessed portions 37, 38 and 39 as illustrated in Figure 8. This triangular shaped contact plate 40 is provided with a centrally located hole 41, and a pair of leg members 42 and 43 turned downwardly at their outer extremities. These leg members 42 and 43 have their outer downwardly extending extremities fitting into the recesses 26 and 27 respectively in the upper surface of the rotor 5. Three buttons 44, 45', and 46 are formed in the upper surface of this contact plate and are designed to engage the terminal plates on the base plate 47 shown in Figure 10. This base plate 47 fits above the contact plate 40, and is keyed into the upper end of the casing by an engaging key 48 on the inside wall of the casing, which engages in the recess 49, on the base plate. A recess 50 in one end of the plate is formed to receive the shaft 22 of the rotor which passes through the opening 41 of the contact plate.

This base plate 47, may be secured in position against slipping out of the casing by turning the edge 65 (Figure 1) of the casing down over the top edge of the base or by other suitable means. A plurality of recesses 51, 53, 53 and 54 are formed in the lower side of the base plate 47 to receive terminal plates as illustrated in Figures 13 and 15. Terminal plates 55 such as shown in Figure 13, fit into the recesses 51 and 52 and are positioned flush with the lower surface of the baseplate47i -These' terminal plates are provided with an opening 56 at one end which align with the opening 57 in the base'plate. These openings 57 extend all the way through the base plate and are provided to receive lug members 58 such as shown in Figure 14. correspondingly, the terminal plate 59, having an opening'60, fits into therecess 53 with the hole 60 aligned with the hole 61 in the terminal plate. There is also provided a hole 62 in the recess 54 which receives an annular terminal plate (not illustrated).

On the upper side of the base plate 47, the holes 62, 57 and 61 are provided with transverse grooves 63, which are shaped to receive the wing elements 64 on the terminal lug 58. The holes 57, 61 and 62 are each provided with a terminal lug 58. The lugs 58 fit into these holes with the wings 64 fitting the recesses 63, so that the lugs will not turn. The lower section 65 of the lugs pass through the hole in the terminal plates and are peened over them, thus, forming a structure in which the lug passes completely through the base and terminal plates.

The peening over of the lower end of the lugs 58 to secure them to the contact terminal or plates 55, 59 and the plate provided for hole 62, is facilitated by recessed section 70 at the lower end of the lug 58. This recess section 70 forms a flange at the end of this lug 58 which is forced down over the hole of the plate to which the lug is secured. These holes such as 56 and 60 towhich this lug is secured are provided with a chamfer about their outer edge to receive the excess material thus forced down into them. This construction provides an improved means of securing the lug to the contact or terminal plate in which there is no projecting material of the lug extending beyond the plate which could interfere with proper operation of the switch.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. In a rotary switch having a coaxial rotor and easing, means for automatically resetting the switch comprising a ridge element formed on said rotor, means forming a recess on the inside of said casing, a helical spring disposed within the casing and having one end bent to be engaged by said ridge when the rotor is turned in one direction, the other end of the spring fitted into said recess and engaging said first mentioned end when the switch is turned in the other direction.

2. In a rotary switch having a coaxial rotor and casing, means for automatically resetting the switch comprising a helical spring having bent normally interengaging ends maintaining tension on said spring, means anchoring one end of said spring to the casing, and means connected to the rotor and engaging the other end of the spring to move the first-mentioned end from the other end when said rotor is turned in one direction, said other end of the spring engaging the first-mentioned end when the rotor is turned in the other direction.

3. In a rotary switch having a coaxial rotor and easing, means for automatically resetting the switch comprising a ridge element formed on said rotor, means forming a recess on the inside of said casing, a helical spring concentric with said rotor having one end bent to be engaged by said ridge when the rotor is turned in one direction, and its other end bent into a loop with the bight of the loop fitted into said recess and with the free end of said'loop adapted to engage said first mentioned end when the switch is turned in the opposite direction.

4. In a rotary switch having a coaxial rotor and casing, a helical spring disposed within the casing and wound about the rotor, a ridge formed on the side of the rotor, said spring having one end bent to abut against the side of the ridge and biasing the rotor to turn in one direction, said spring having its other end anchored to the casing, said other end of the spring being bent into the path of the first-named end of the spring and limiting the bias exerted by the said first-named end of the spring on the rotor.

5. A rotary switch comprising a casing, a rotor disposed within the casing, a spring disposed within the casing and surrounding the rotor, one end of the spring being looped around the other end of the spring to load the spring, said loop being anchored to the casing, a ridge formed on the rotor and engaging the said other end of the spring whereby when said rotor is turned against the bias of the spring, the body of the spring is drawn through the loop.

6. In a rotary switch having a rotor and a casing, means for automatically controlling the movement of the rotor comprising a spring under tension having one end secured to the casing and the other end secured to the rotor for turning the rotor in one direction, and means forming a stop as part of the spring and in the path of travel of the other end for limiting the elfect of the spring on the rotor.

7. In a rotary switch, biasing means comprising a helical spring fixed at one end, said fixed end being looped to engage the other end of said spring, said loop maintaining the spring under tension by limiting the travel of the other end of the spring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,855,612 Salinas Apr. 26, 1932 2,612,577 Jacobi Sept. 30, 1952 2,667,544 Griifiths Jan. 26, 1954 

